Pages

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Cotriade - A Fish Stew from Brittany

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We're ready for Christmas here. The manic rush is over and it's time to let the goodwill of the season envelop us. The tree is up, packages have been sent and our last party of the season is behind us. The remainder of the week belongs to the two of us and I've come to relish this quiet time. There are no deadlines to meet and during this lull, I'll pull recipes from my cortex and revel in the tastes and memories of Christmas past. Many of the dishes I'll be making for us during the holiday come from France. They are simple dishes from port cities or the French countryside and they are designed to satisfy, rather than impress. Haute they're not. Today's recipe is for Cotriade, a simple fish stew from Brittany that's often served during réveillon on Christmas Eve. It is to Brittany what bouillabaisse is to Provence, though it is much easier to make. It was originally made with the fishermen's share of the daily catch and each port seemed to have its own recipe for the stew. It always contained at least one kind of white fish, and while it was fortified with potatoes and herbs, it never contained the shellfish commonly associated with bouillabaisse. It is an uncomplicated dish that is completely dependent on the quality of fish used to make it. It can be delicious and it certainly is easy to make. The stew can be on the table in 30 minutes and it can be scaled up or down to feed two or twenty. I had originally intended to make this for our supper on Christmas Eve, however, the cod in the fish market looked so good that I decided we'd have it today instead. While the stew can certainly be ladled into soup bowls and eaten as is, there is a bit of ritual associated with its service. In a proper Breton kitchen, the fish and potatoes would be transferred to a platter and served with a sprinkling of red wine vinegar and fresh black pepper. The broth would be saved and served as an accompaniment in bowls with large croutons, so nothing would go to waste. The recipe I'm sharing today was developed by Mark Bittman. While I added a diced fennel bulb to my stew, I have not included it in the ingredient list below. Once you have a sense of the recipe, you can add other vegetables as you see fit, but I hope you'll try it his way at least once. This simple nourishing soup is now considered to be a luxury dish and I think it is one you really will enjoy. Here's the recipe.

This, or a version of it, is a staple in our house all winter. Sounds like you have a cozy week ahead of you, enjoy! My two girls are now once again under my roof, and I'm up before dawn with a couple of wide awake pups and a good cup of coffee---Merry Christmas!

A beautiful bowl of stew - and a nice picture you painted with your words of a quiet home, ready for the holiday! I love eating just a bit lighter around the holidays in preparation of the big meals ahead, and this looks like just the trick.

Our holidays are slowly (very slowly) starting to quiet down. We still run to different homes for the Eve and the day - but already there is a bit more time to savor. While some are wishing for the manic Christmas Eve of yore with the 21 grandkids - they are grown and splintering off to new holiday traditions - and that is how it should be. I savor the idea of bringing Christmas past into the home with the old dishes. And will be doing this. The Italian also would make a fish stew and serve the fish separate from the broth. I love the simplicity. (And will add the fennel bulb) I wish you and the Silver Fox a very Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday weekend.

Before today when you told me what this dish was called (and how wonderfully exotic it is that it from Brittany), this was just fish stew to me. Back home in Newfoundland, my Mom would cook this dish every few weeks, usually with good ole Newfie codfish! Perhaps I'll make this on Xmas Eve!

It's been over two decades since we celebrated a reveillon (family stuff) but the memories we had were of fabulous evenings with fabulous food, family and friends. I look forward to trying your soup. SO simple and beautiful.

Site Meter

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information about your visit for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a a users prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DoubleClick cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads. This blog is not responsible for the republishing of the content found here on other Web sites or media without the owners permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice